Traverse rod glide



Nov. 24, 1964 v o. T. STALL 3,

TRAVERSE ROD GLIDE Filed March 25, 1963 INVENTOR. Orv/4W6- TSZc?//United States Patent Ofi ice 3,l?,%? Patented Nov. 24, 1964 @rviile Thisinvention relates to a traverse rod glide and is more particularlyconcerned with an improved glide having novel drape and pleater-engagingmeans.

It is common practice in the drapery art to provide elongatehorizontally-disposed drapery-supporting tracks or traverse rods, toslidably engage a plurality of hanger locks or glides having dependinghook-receiving eyes thereon in the rod and to provide a plurality ofhorizontally-spaced drapery hooks at or along the upper edge of draperypanels and engaged in the eyes on the glides, thereby slidablysupporting the draperies, at spaced intervals, from the traverse rods.

It has long been common practice to establish Wide hems along the upperedges or" draperies and to establish a plurality oflongitudinally-spaced pleats in the hems so as to achieve the desireddraping effect and also to provide sufficient bulk and rigidity at theupper edges of the draperies to properly receive the drapery hooks andto maintain the draperies in proper form.

In recent years, pleaters, consisting of elongate, resilient, sinuate orserpentine springs have been employed in draperies, in place of theestablishment of pleats in the draperies, per se. These pleaters areestablished of ribbon stock, arranged in a vertical plane and areprovided with pin-receiving apertures along their central longitudinalaxes. These pleaters are arranged in small hems along the upper or topedges of the draperies. Conventional drapery hooks are engaged throughthe upper hem portion of the draperies and through the apertures in thepleaters therein and are engaged through the eyes of the glides carriedby the traverse rods in the old or standard manner.

While the above set-up has proven to be reasonably successful, certaindisadvantages exist. First, the necessity of providing drapery hooks isundesirable. Such hooks are simply additional parts to be concerned withan are difiicult and undesirable to work with. Second, since the draperyhooks must hook, first with the draperies and second with the eyes inthe glides, a great deal of slop or play is established by the hooks,between the traverse rods and the draperies. Third, since the pleaterand drapery assemblies must be balanced so as not to tip forwardly orrearwardly and the hooks must necessarily be engaged through the drapesand apertures in the pleaters from one side of the drape and plea'tcrassemblies, the upper portions of the hooks must be bent and formed sothat the upper hook portions thereof, which engage the eyes of theglides, occur above the drapes and in vertical alignment with theapertures in the pleater. This results in the hooks being ofconsiderable vertical extent and in supporting the drapes in spacedrelationship below the glides and the rods. The above, in addition toestablishing a loose, sloppy installation, is unattractive.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel drapery glidehaving drapery-engaging means, thereby eliminating the necessity ofproviding separate conventional drapery hooks.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drapery glide of thecharacter referred to wherein the drapery, with a pleater engagedtherein, is closely embraced by the glide and is not free to swing andshift relative thereto.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a glide of thecharacter referred to which establishes a neat, compact, stable andbalanced assembly between the traverse rod and the draperies.

A further object of this invention is to provide a drapery glide of thecharacter referred to including a unitary molded plastic body and asingle, non-removable or displaceable, self-locking retaining pin.

It is another object of this invention to provide a construction of thecharacter referred to wherein the glide can be easily and convenientlyengaged or removed from a drapery by means of the fingers on one handand without the use or exercise of special tools, skill or extraordinaryeffort.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a draperyconstruction wherein the glides are fixed to and carried by the draperyand are such that they can be easily and conveniently engaged ordisengaged with the traverse rod.

The various objects and features of my invention will be fullyunderstood from the following detailed description of a typicalpreferred form and application of my invention throughout whichdescription reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing glides as provided by the presentinvention related to a traverse rod, pleater and pleater and draperyassembly;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken as indicated by line22 on FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken as indicated by line 3-3 on FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view taken as indicated by line 44 on PEG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a View taken as indicated by line 55 on FIG. 2 and showing thepin element in a different position.

The drapery glides A that I provide are adapted to be engaged in atraverse rod B and with a drapery C and pleater D.

The traverse rod B is an elongate horizontally-disposed rolled sheetmetal part having a fiat top wall rounded side walls 11 and a pair oflaterally-inwardly-projecting bottom walls or rails 12 having flat topand bottom surfaces 13 and 14 and straight laterally-spaced opposingedges 15.

The rails 12 are simple continuations of the rounded side Walls ill. Therod B is adapted to be mounted on a ceiling or wall, adjacent a windowopening or the like and to support the drapery C, through the glides A,for engagement across said opening. Various means can be employed tomount the rod, however, since such means in no Way affects or forms apart of the instant invention, I have not illustrated a rod-mountingmeans and will not burden this specification with further discussionthereof.

The drapery C is a simple fiat, vertically-disposed rectangular sheet offabric and is provided with an elongate horizontally-disposed hem l6coextensive with the upper edge thereof and open at its ends.

The pleater D is an elongate, horizontally-disposed sinuate orserpentine ribbon of spring steel. The ribbon is arranged in a verticalplane and is provided with a pinrality of longitudinally-spacedapertures 17, which apertures occur along the central axis of thepleater. The pleater is slidably engaged in the hem 16 of the drapery Cto extend longitudinally of the upper edge of the drapery and serves toyieldingly maintain the upper edge of the drapery in a sinuate orserpentine arrangement, causing to drape in a neat, uniform, roundedpleated fashion.

The glides A that I provide are like unitary assemblies, each includinga molded plastic body E and a spring steel pin F.

Each body E includes an upper portion 20, a lower yoke portion 21 and acentral or intermediate neck portion 22.

The head portion 2% is an elongate portion rectangular in planeconfiguration, having a top surface 23, a flat down- 3 wardly-disposedrail-engaging bottom surface 24, ends and sides 26. The ends 25 areshown rounded.

The head portion 29 is greater in longitudinal extent and is less inlateral extent that the distance between the opposing edges 15 of therails 12 of the traverse rod B.

The glides A are normally engaged in the rods, with their longitudinalaxes extending transverse the axes of the rails and their bottomsurfaces 24, in flat, sliding hearing engagement on the top surface 13of the rails; see FIG. 2 of the drawings.

When is is desired to remove the glides from engagement in or with therails of the traverse rods B, the glides are turned or urged a full 90degrees from their normal arrangement, as mentioned above, and so thatthe sides 26 thereof extend parallel with the edges 15 of the rails andthe heads 29 are free to shift between the rails.

The neck portions 22 are simple, straight, verticallydisposedcylindrical portions depending from the bottom surfaces 24 of the heads,intermediate the ends thereof and are equal in diametric extent with thelateral extent of the head portions 20.

The round exterior of the necks establish bearing surfaces to engage theedges 15 of the traverse rod rails 12 and to allow for free longitudinalshifting and rotation of the glides relative to the rods. The lower yokeportions 21 of the glides includes upper, rectangular headers 27 havingflat top surfaces 28, bottom surfaces 29, ends 30 and straight parallelsides 31. The top surfaces 28 are spaced from and oppose the bottomsurfaces 24 of the head portions 20 and the bottom surfaces 14 of thetraverse rod rails 12 and are integrally joined with the lower end ofthe neck portion 22, intermediate their ends.

The lower yoke portion 21 is greater in lateral extent than the distancebetween the opposing edges 15 of the rails 12 so that upon excessiveupward shifting and engagement of the guides in the traverse rods, thetop surfaces 28 of the yoke portions 21 engage and stop against the saidbottom surfaces of the rails.

The lower yoke portions 21 further include a pair of laterally-spaceddepending legs 32 depending from the bottom surfaces 29 of the headersand having flat, parallel, vertically-disposed and opposing innersurfaces 33 and outer surfaces 3%. The upper ends of the legs arecoextensive with longitudinal extent of the headers and are shown ashaving downwardly-convergent ends 35 and flat bottoms 36.

The yoke portions 21 are adapted to receive and embrace the upper hem 16of the drapery C, with the pleater D engaged therein, with the bottomsurfaces 29 of the headers opposing the top or upper edges of thedrapery and the legs 32 occurring at the opposite sides of thedraperies, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 4- of the drawings.

In addition to the foregoing, the yoke portions 21 of the glides areprovided with upper transverse pin-receiving openings 37 in the headers27 and a pair of lower, transverse, axially-aligned pinreceivingopenings 38 in the legs 32.

The pins F that I provide are elongate, unitary members of spring steel,bent in a substantially rectangular form with lower,horizontally-disposed drapery-engaging portions 40, upper,horizontally-disposed locking portions 41, vertically-disposedfinger-engaging and stop portions 42 extending between one end of thelower portion and one end of the upper portion and a second,vertically-disposed finger-engaging and stop portion 43 depending'fromthe other end of the said upper portion.

The lower portion is substantially equal in longitudinal extent with thelateral extent of the yoke and is normally engaged in the openings 38 inthe legs 32, to extend therebetween and through the drapery and pleaterassembly, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 4 of the drawings.

The free ends of the lower portions 48 of the pins F, remote from theends thereof that join the portions 42 of the pins, are pointed.

The upper lock portions 41 of the pins F are substantially equal totwice the lateral extent of the yoke portions of the glides and aresildably en through the upper openings 37 in the glides. The portions 41are bent intermediate their ends to establish oppositely-extending,straight, downwardly-inclined ends X and Y, or, an upwardly-projectingresilient peak Z.

The vertical portions 42 extending between one end of the upper portion41 and the lower portion 40 of the pins, connect the said portions 40and 41, ccur at the exteriors of the yokes and establish finger-engagingparts and parts which engage and stop against the adjacent or opposingsides of the yokes and thereby limit lateral drifting of the pins F inone direction relative to the yokes.

The vertical portions 43 depending from the other ends of the upperportions 41 of the pins F occur at the exterior of the yoke, establishfinger-engaging parts and also establish stops to engage the other sideof the yohes and limit shifting of the pins F in the other or oppositedirection.

With the construction set forth above, it will be apparent that thelower portions 40 of the pins, extending through the openings 33 in theyoltes, are carried by the upper portions 41 and that upon shifting ofthe upper portions of the pins laterally relative to the yokes, so thateither one end X or the other end Y of the said upper portions occur inthe o enings 37, the lower portions 4t. are shifted laterally, into andout of bridging engagement between the legs of the yokcs and into andout of engagernent through the draperies C and the apertures 17 in thepleaters D.

it will also be apparent that when the upper portions 41 of the pins arein either of the above-mentioned positions, the angularly relatedportions X or Y not engaged in the openings 37, serve to yielding ylock, and prevent the other portion, engaged in said openings fromshifting therein.

Still further, it will be apparent that when the upper portions 41 areshifted longitudinally in either direction, the end portions X and Yand/ or the pe. it Z flex and yield sufiiciently, upon the exertion ofnominal pressures at the ends of said portions 41 to allow forlongitudinal shifting of said portions 41 in the openings 37 andlaterally of the yoke portions of the glides. The upper portions 41, ineffect, snap from one position to the other when operated.

It will be apparent that with the self-locking, shiftable pinconstruction F that I provide, the pins can be easily and convenientlyshifted by one finger of a persons hand, in which the glide is engaged,leaving the persons other hand free to handle and manipulate the draperyand pleater assembly, with which the glide being handled is related.

In practice, the glides are initially engaged with the drapery andpleater assembly, whereupon this assembly is lifted to occur adjacentthe lower sides of the traverse rods B and the plcater D is manuallyflexed, beyond its normal extent of flexing and so as to rotate the headportions of the glides for free engagement into and with the traverserods B. When the said head portions of the glides are engaged in the rodB, the pleater, drape and glide assembly is released, leaving the glidesengaged in and with the rods in the manner illustrated in the drawingsand with the drapery and pleater hung or suspended therefrom.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of myinvention, 1 do not wish to be limited to the specific details hereinset forth, but wish to reserve to myself any variations andmodifications that may appear to those skilled in the art and fallwithin the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A glide engageable in a traverse rod and with a drapery including, anupper rod-engaging head, a lower drapery-engaging yoke with a header anda pair of laterally spaced depending legs to occur at the opposite sidesof a drapery, an upper transverse pin-receiving opening in the yoke anda pair of axially-aligned lower transverse pinreceiving openings in thelegs of the yoke and a pin having a lower portion engageable through thelower openings to bridge the legs and project through the draperyengaged therebetween, an upper portion slidably engaged through theupper opening and an intermediate portion connecting the said upper andlower pontions at one end thereof, said upper portion of the pin beinggreater in longitudinal extent than the lower portion thereof, wherebythe upper portion of the pin remains engaged in the upper opening in theyoke when its lower portion is shifted laterally from within the spacebetween the legs.

2. A glide engageable in a traverse rod and with a drapery including, anupper rod-engaging head, a lower drapery-engaging yoke with a header anda pair of laterallyspaced depending legs to occur at the opposite sidesof a drapery, an upper transverse pin-receiving opening in the yoke anda pair of axially-aligned lower transverse pinreceiv-ing openings in thelegs of the yoke and a pin having a lower portion engageable through thelower openings to bridge the legs and project through the draperyengaged therehetween, an upper portion slidably engaged through theupper opening and an intermediate portion connecting the said upper andlower portions at one end thereof, the other end of the upper portionhaving a finger and glide engaging portion angularly related thereto andprojecting therefrom.

3. A glide engageable in a traverse rod and with a drapery including, anupper rod-engaging head, a lower drapery-engaging yoke with a header anda pair of laterally-spaced depending legs to occur at the opposite sidesof a drapery, an upper transverse pin-receiving opening in the yoke anda pair of axially-aligned lower transverse pin-receiving openings in thelegs of the yoke and a pin having a lower portion engageabletthrough thelower openings to bridge the legs and project through the draperyengaged therebetween, an upper portion slidably engaged through theupper opening and an intermediate portion connecting the said upper andlower portions at one end thereof, said upper portion having straightangularly related ends, each equal in longitudinal extent with thelateral extent of the upper opening and being sufficiently resilient toflex and yield upon lateral shifting of the said upper portion of thepin through said opening.

4. A glide engageable in a traverse rod and with a drapery including, anupper rod-engaging head, a lower drapery-engaging yoke with a header anda pair of laterally-spaced depending legs to occur at the opposite sidesof a drapery, an upper transverse pin-receiving opening in the yoke anda pair of axially-aligned lower trans verse pin-receiving openings inthe legs of the yoke and a pin having a lower portion engageable throughthe lower openings to bridge the legs and project through the draperyengaged therebetween, an upper portion slidably engaged through theupper opening and an intermediate portion connection the said upper andlower portions at one end thereof, said upper portion having straightangularly related ends, each equal in longitudinal extent with thelateral extent of the upper opening and being sutliciently resilient toflex and yoke upon lateral shiftingof the said upper portion of the pinthrough said opening, the other end of the upper portion having a fingerand glide-engaging portion angularly related thereto and projectingtherefrom.

5. A glide engageable in a traverse rod and with a drapery including, anupper rod-engaging head, a lower drapery-engaging yoke with a header anda pair of laterally spaced depending legs to occur at the opposite sidesof a drapery, an upper transverse pin-receiving opening in the yoke anda pair of axially-aligned lower transverse pinreceiving openings in thelegs of the yoke and a pin having a lower portion engageable through thelower openings to bridge the legs and project through the draperyengaged therebetween, an upper portion slidably engaged through theupper opening and an intermediate portion connecting the said upper andlower portions at one end thereof, said upper portion of the pin havingstraight angularly related ends defining a central, resilient peak, saidpeak adapted to flex and yield upon lateral shifting of the said upperportion of the pin in the said upper opening.

6. A glide engageable in a traverse rod and with a drapery including, anupper rod-engaging head, a lower drapery-engaging yoke with a header anda pair of laterally-spaced depending legs to occur at the opposite sidesof a drapery, an upper transverse pin-receiving opening in the yoke anda pair of axially-aligned lower transverse pinreceiving openings in thelegs of the yoke and a pin having a lower portion engageable through thelower openings to bridge the legs and project through the draperyengaged therebet'ween, an upper portion slidably engaged through theupper opening and an intermediate portion connecting the said upper andlower portions at one end thereof, said upper portion of the pin havingstraight angularly related ends defining a central, resilient peak, saidpeak adapted to flex and yield upon lateral shifting of the said upperportion of the pin in the said upper opening, the other end of the upperportion of the pin having a finger and glide-engaging portion angularlyrelated thereto and projecting therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,125,202 Sauer July 26, 1938 2,709,831 Mountain June 7, 1955 2,817,889Kalal et a1. Dec. 31, 1957 3,090,431 Stubblefield May 21, 1963 FOREIGNPATENTS 915,495 Germany July 22, 1954 292,018 Switzerland Oct. 16, 1953

1. A GLIDE ENGAGEABLE IN A TRAVERSE ROD AND WITH A DRAPERY INCLUDING, ANUPPER ROD-ENGAGING HEAD, A LOWER DRAPERY-ENGAGING YOKE WITH A HEADER ANDA PAIR OF LATERALLYSPACED DEPENDING LEGS TO OCCUR AT THE OPPOSITE SIDESOF A DRAPERY, AN UPPER TRANSVERSE PIN-RECIVING OPENING IN THE YOKE AND APAIR OF AXIALLY-ALIGNED LOWER TRANSVERSE PINRECEIVING OPENINGS IN THELEGS OF THE YOKE AND A PIN HAVING A LOWER PORTION ENGAGEABLE THROUGH THELOWER OPENINGS TO BRIDGE THE LEGS AND PROJECT THROUGH THE DRAPERYENGAGED THEREBETWEEN, AN UPPER PORTION SLIDABLY ENGAGED THROUGH THEUPPER OPENING AND AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION CONNECTING THE SAID UPPER ANDLOWER PORTIONS AT ONE END THEREOF, SAID UPPER PORTION OF THE PIN BEINGGREATER IN LONGITUDINAL EXTENT THAN THE LOWER PORTION THEREOF, WHEREBYTHE UPPER PORTION OF THE PIN REMAINS ENGAGED IN THE UPPER OPENINGS INTHE YOKE WHEN ITS LOWER PORTION IS SHIFTED LATERALLY FROM WITHIN THESPACE BETWEEN THE LEGS.